Sunday, December 30, 2012

Yes, it's that time of year again where we get to look back and remember some of the highlights (and lowlights) that we've come to know and love/loathe.

Democrat to Watch: Hillary Clinton. With Hillary leaving her post as Secretary of State, the road is wide open to explore her options. This could be problematic for a lot of people within the party, including Barack Obama and Joe Biden, the former because of her role in the Benghazi controversy, and the latter because of the calls for her to run for President in 2016...possibly against Biden.

Democrat to Forget: Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She went from being an annoying, mindless blonde Congresswoman from Florida to being...an annoying, mindless blonde Congresswoman from Florida who happens to be head of the DNC. Although the Left may think she's great for staying on message even after being exposed as a liar, the fact she's such a bold and moronic liar turns off most people from listening to her message.

Republican to Watch: Marco Rubio. With Republicans focusing more on the Hispanic vote, all eyes are looking to Marco Rubio to see if he can bridge the communication gap. His success or failure will have an immediate impact on the 2014 midterm elections, not to mention the 2016 Presidential elections.

Republican to Forget: Mitt Romney. Remember when everyone said Mitt Romney was the only candidate who could beat Barack Obama? So do I...in 2008. You know, when he couldn't even beat Mike Huckabee? Now, in 2012, we found out he couldn't even beat Obama.

Flash in the Pan: Occupy Wall Street. The media darlings of 2011 were nowhere to be found this year. You know, aside from the Andrew Breitbart documentary "Occupy Exposed," that is. As it turns out, Occupy Wall Street was a bigger bomb this year than "Cloud Atlas." Maybe it was "Pot Cloud Atlas."

The Real Deal: Benghazi. No matter how much Leftists have tried to downplay the Benghazi situation, it keeps coming back because there are still a number of unanswered questions related to what the State Department knew and when they knew it. And it's not just Republicans asking questions at this point. As long as the questions remain, Benghazi will not be going away anytime soon.

Raw Deal: Media treatment of George Zimmerman. In an attempt to paint the Trayvon Martin killing as a hate crime, media outlets (NBC most notably) took liberties with the facts to fit their narrative. First, Zimmerman was a white man (he's not). Then, he was Jewish (he's not). Then, he ignored the 911 operator's instructions (he didn't). Then, he shot Martin in cold blood (he didn't). Then, Martin lied about facial injuries he sustained (he didn't). At some point, the media had to have said, "You know, maybe we should do a bit more research before we throw out more accusations that will bite us in the ass later."

Defining Moment: The first Presidential debate between Obama and Romney. No one expected the outcome of the first debate because to that point Romney appeared to be unable to command attention while Obama seemed cool and confident. However, the first debate changed that dynamic and the outcome of the election, in my opinion, because it created the image Obama wanted: that he was the underdog in the election. Once that was established, the rest of the election season was altered to his benefit.

Missed Opportunity: The "fiscal cliff." Hearing the Left and the media talk about the "fiscal cliff" was a great opportunity for Republicans to not only address the central issue, but do so in a way that would help reverse the tide of the 2012 elections. Having wasteful spending remain on the table while hinting at the possibility of tax hikes is morally, intellectually, and politically wrong. But to the so-called Republican leadership in Washington, it's better to capitulate to a bad idea than to fight for a good one.

R. I. P.: Current TV. Al Gore's real contribution to the Information Age is on the verge of financial collapse. As of this writing, I believe you might be able to buy it outright with loose change found in your couch cushions, and it's a shame, what with all the big name Leftists like...well...there was Keith Olbermann.

Man of the Year: Barack Obama. This was a no-brainer because anybody who could win reelection with stated unemployment at around 8%, real unemployment being almost double that, and with an economy that is turning around slower than the QE II has to be doing something noteworthy. Now, hand me my Obama Phone, would you?

The Anna Nicole Smith Lifetime Achievement Award: Sandra Fluke. Who knew complaining about birth control in front of a staged Congressional hearing could parlay into a lucrative job as a Leftist tool all because Rush Limbaugh called you a slut on air? Well, Sandra, I don't think you're a slut. An activist who is only half as smart as a turnip? Yeah, that's more like it.

The Dan Rather Excellence in Journalism Award: Keith Olbermann. The man who loves to portray himself as this generation's Edward R. Murrow found himself fired from yet another job. Just a tip for you, Keith. Maybe at your next job, don't act like such an asshole.

14:59 and Holding: Piers Morgan. Does anybody really even watch his show aside from conservatives waiting for him to say something stupid? With a White House petition to deport him, Morgan came out and said he would deport himself if America's gun laws weren't changed. Ummm...how can I break this to you, Piers? Oh yeah, you can't deport yourself; the government does that. And this twit wants to lecture us on gun laws?

Sign We Are Doomed as a Country: Joe Biden is thinking of running for President in 2016.

Sign We Are Not Doomed as a Country: Ted Kennedy's son is not running for Congress yet.

The Your Tinfoil Hat Is on Too Tight Award: Senate Republicans are seeking to approve Massachusetts Senator John Kerry as Secretary of State so it opens up a Senate seat for ousted Republican Senator Scott Brown to win back.